Sometime Around Midnight
by ju1i3Oh
Summary: It was the dark sky, the moon and stars that brought them together. Night was their fairy tale. GrayLu 2014 Prompt: Night


_Sum: It was the dark sky, the moon and stars that brought them together. Night was their fairy tale._

_A/N: GrayLu 2014 prompt: Night_

_I will also try my best to submit a couple more...but I can't promise I'll be very prompt with my submissions (Sorry!) I hope you guys enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: Don't own FT_

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><p>Sometime Around Midnight<p>

It was during a late autumn night, where leaves were shedding, the darkness of the night was approaching faster and the temperature seemed to cool considerably when they first meet.

There was a girl with blonde hair and brown eyes walking hesitantly down the sidewalk.

She didn't want to admit it, but she was lost.

She was nine years old.

And she was scared.

..

..

The cool night air to him had always felt nice, nothing like the blasting heat of summer air. He wondered around the familiar neighborhood heading straight for the old shrine, where his view of the ocean and night sky were the best.

He was a boy with dark ebony strands and dark blue eyes walking down the sidewalk.

He loved winter, but even more he'd like to think he loved his solitude.

He was ten years old.

And he was lonely.

..

..

The boy continued on his way oblivious to having taken off his hoodie but in the back of his mind he knew Ur would be scolding him about his unconscious stripping habits in public. With a roll of his eyes, he made a sharp turn to only find a huddling body beside the shrine entrance.

He approached with caution.

And he noticed the girl with blonde hair flinch.

..

..

She was terrified.

Her body shook as her arms tightened around her knees, she was terrified when all she could see from her bent angle was a dark shadow looming in front of her.

"Oi."

A small cry escaped her trembling lips, but she stilled. The voice was young and budding, slowly she raised her head.

She noticed the boy squatting in front of her, his head tilted as if staring at a puzzle.

Their eyes met.

And she noticed his blue eyes.

..

His hand extended.

Slowly she took it and he pulled her up.

Silence accompanied them as he ushered her by the hand to the shrine's edge facing out into the ocean.

She didn't let go as they sat down.

He didn't let go when her hand squeezed his.

She learned that his name was Gray Fullbuster and he was a year older than her. He told her that he loved winter and he liked being alone.

Lucy wondered then, why this boy had brought her with him if he liked being alone.

..

..

Without them knowing the nightly meetings beside the shrine became a ritual of sorts for them. She would come and sit next to the shrine's entrance waiting until his hand was offered and the heat of their hands would fight off the cold.

A few words would be exchanged, but those were the ones that meant the most.

He would speak about the upcoming school year and what she should expect.

She would smile in appreciation and asked if they would see each other in school. His hand patting her head was enough of an answer for her.

Both of them promised to gather here every night.

..

..

School had started afterwards. They saw each other in the hallways, in the cafeteria and during breaks. He would walk her halfway afterschool until the intersection divided them and she would wait for him in the mornings.

Lucy started noticing how everyday he seemed to be growing taller, how his voice was suddenly getting deeper.

And how suddenly it wasn't just them walking to and from school alone anymore.

Suddenly the nightly meetings became fewer.

The years became increasingly shorter and high school so much closer.

..

..

Lucy was fifteen when she met the one woman who would take her best friend away for a very long time, Juvia Lockser.

She didn't know at that time that he wasn't just her best friend. He was someone she had fallen in love—been in love with for a long time now.

"Hi, Gray—"

"Gray-sama~~"

She would watch how his eyes somehow always ended on the blue haired beauty walking past her as she took his arm dragging him off to school. He would send her an apologetic smile and she would strain with her own lips curing up in return.

If he was happy, then she would be too…

..

That Friday she waited by the shrine entrance at 11:30, wondering if maybe she was too early.

She sent him a quick message and patiently waited for his reply.

She waited still when she noticed it was past midnight.

Her legs were stiff when she managed to drag herself to the side of the shrine. She didn't know how long she stayed waiting that night or how long she stared at sea of stars staring down at her.

It wasn't until she had woken up with a sore back, sand in her shoes and a dry trail down her cheek that she noticed she had been crying and that Gray didn't show up.

..

..

"Hey Lucy!"

She continued walking, praying to any deity that she was hearing things. "Lucy wait up!" she managed to stop just outside the school gates staring straight ahead.

She could feel him standing behind her, panting as if he had ran all the way.

"Yeah?"

"You didn't...I mean…" she noticed his uncomfortable tone of voice and she bet anything that he was rubbing his neck awkwardly, nervously "you didn't wait up did you? On Friday, I mean?"

Suddenly her throat tightened.

"I had a date with Juvia and I couldn't make it. So I just wanted to know if you had made it home safe—"

"Don't worry about it," she didn't know where the small surge of strength had come from but she was thankful for it "I-I made it back home after I sent you the text." She lied.

When she made to turn and smile up at him, she didn't know if he had noticed the heavy bags under her eyes "Luc-"

The bell rang.

And she left just as his girlfriend took hold of his hand.

..

..

Natsu, Gray's best friend and rival since elementary school had started walking with her to and from school along with their other friends. It was a good distraction from the two people lagging behind them.

Her smiles weren't only directed at Gray anymore, but as hard as she tried her thoughts always strayed back to him.

She never noticed, that he had taken note of a lot of things as well.

..

As the school semester passed, not once did she forget to go to the shrine during the weekend nights even if she know he wasn't going to be there.

She was lonely those nights.

..

..

He didn't know when it had started, but then again maybe he did know when.

"G-Gray-sama…" his lips descended, his eyes closed as he pressed her against his body. Tonight he would grant her wish of becoming closer as a couple. She was feeling insecure and he feeling guilty.

He wondered if what he was doing was the right thing.

Was it right, ignoring his feelings?

His hands tangled in her hair, his eyes opened expecting blonde strands.

"Gray-sama?"

He stared down at the girl he had been dating for a two years now, she was beautiful. But…but she wasn't who he wanted. She had been the girl who looked beautiful enough to get him mind off of his best friend, the one who he thought might bring his heart back from wherever it had run off to.

Because Lucy was someone he shouldn't be with.

She was someone who deserved better, not an orphaned child who believed in silly dreams that might never come true.

Her father would never accept him.

She would marry someone better.

Be with someone better.

Because she deserved it, she deserved her freedom from her father, from her life, from him. He was holding her back.

There was a sharp pain enveloping his chest.

He flinched as Juvia's hand touched his cheek and slowly he rolled off of her.

"Gray-"

"I need to go."

"But Gray-sama—"

A sigh interrupted her sentence "I'll see you Monday."

He walked out of her home with a heavy heart.

..

..

He walked down a familiar route that night.

..

He gazed down at the corner where a blonde was always huddled up waiting for him to appear.

Slowly as if his feet weighed more than a ton he made his way towards the shrine's steps, where their night meetings were always held. A solemn smile made it past his lips for a second as the ocean came into his view.

Just as his hand was about to take hold of the hand rail his foot bumped into something soft earning him a small groan.

Gray followed the sound, his heart clenched at the scene.

There slouched against the railing in an uncomfortable position was Lucy, hair drawn up on a messy bun, dressed in an overlarge hoodie that looked very familiar and black tights, her small hands bunched up on her lap where an opened notebook took shelter.

He crouched down.

The sight of her sleeping outside, alone and vulnerable had his anger boiling. How could she be so stupid to even be out here at this time of night?! What was she doing anyway? Didn't she know it was dangerous?!

Gray slowly exhaled through his nose, he needed to calm down. He needed to wake her up first then he'd yell at her and make her understand why she couldn't be out here alone. His hands were a little shy of her shoulders when he noticed it.

She had been crying.

His fingers slowly followed the wet trail subconsciously.

"Gray…"

He looked up expecting sleepy brown eyes only to notice that she was half mumbling in her sleep. He shook his head and went again to try and shake her awake.

Her shoulders under his hands felt small and fragile.

He wanted her closer.

He wanted to take her in his arms.

..

His eyes wondered to her open notebook.

_Dear Gray,_

_ There's still a lot of things I forgot to tell you on our last meeting, but I think that could wait. Because I'll wait for you to come back._

_ Tonight I saw Virgo the constellation. Do you know about Virgo? Maybe next time I'll tell you about Virgo's story._

_ I'll tell you about my dreams, about my ambitions, about my nightmares, about a novel I'm currently writing…and I'll tell you how much I miss you._

The hold on her arms went slack as he stared at the familiar cursive writing.

He was careful as he slipped the notebook out of her lap.

He flipped a page.

_Gray,_

_ I made a new friend today and she loves books as much as I do! Can you believe it? She's a good friend, I think you'll like her too!_

And the next.

_ Gray, _

_ I hope you're doing ok. _

_ I hope you get what you want._

_ I hope your dreams come true._

_ And I pray for your happiness…just…just don't forget to come back once in a while, yeah?_

The tight grip on his already heavy heart plunged into a searing pain that took his breath away. His hands shook as the notebooks edges folded under his grip.

He was such a fucking asshole.

"…Gray?"

There was a gut wrenching feeling as his name left her lips.

He meet her sleepy, uncertain gaze.

..

..

"Lucy wait!"

She ran.

"Lucy!"

No, she will not stop.

She will not listen.

She will run as far away.

He read her notebook…he yelled at her…he kissed her…why?

She was confused, but more than that she was hurt.

..

Her legs strained and suddenly they folded underneath her.

..

..

She didn't want to admit it, she was still in love with him.

She was seventeen years old.

And she was lonely.

..

"Why?"

"Lucy-"

"Why didn't you come?" he watched as she hugged herself "Why did you leave me alone?"

Her tears were something that he couldn't handle.

He wanted to comfort her.

"…why did you kiss me? You have Juvia…"

He released a frustrated growl that ended up startling her, but he didn't care anymore. He couldn't leave her this way with questions left unanswered. He couldn't stay away anymore.

"I love you."

He watched her puffy red rimmed eyes widen "what?"

"I love you Lucy," he stepped closer only to have her take a step back.

Lucy shook her head, no he was lying. He was distant and dated Juvia for two years there was no way-

"Believe me Lucy" her breath hitched as he took hold of her shoulders.

She struggled in his hold and just as she was about to yell at him do anything to separate her from him a pair of lips molded with hers silencing her protests. Her heart was racing a mile a minute.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair that he could have such a hold on her, slowly she unraveled under his touch moving her lips against his own. The feel of his hand on her waist left her a trembling mess as he pressed her against his hard body. An embarrassing moan escaped her lips leaving her open to his ever intruding tongue exploring her.

With shaking hands she pushed herself away, breathless.

"..."

As if reading her mind, he ran a hand through his messy hair before meeting her eyes "I…I didn't think I deserved you."

The look in his eyes sent a blade through her chest.

Didn't deserve her?

"Come on Lucy," he chuckled sardonically "what would a no good orphan like me bring you? You deserve someone better, someone who will make you happy give you the freedom you deserve."

"I didn't want to hold you back because-"

"What about how I feel?"

"What?"

She clutched at her chest "I don't care if you're an orphan or homeless you have dreams and ambitions you want to accomplish. I don't care what my father says he can't dictate who I love or who I don't…!"

"…"

She tried sending him her best Erza glare "I love you, you stupid jerk!"

And just like that she turned and walked away.

..

..

There was a girl with blonde hair and brown eyes staring out into the dark sky.

..

There was a boy with dark hair and dark blue eyes sitting beside the blonde girl.

Their hands intertwined.

She was a girl who had fallen in love under the dark sky.

He was a boy who had fallen in love under the dark sky.

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><p>AN: I hope to hear from you guys~~


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